"Damsels" in Distress--a LOTR sisterhood story
by Avi Clark
Summary: It's the fic promised to the LOTR sisters. A group of girls are thrown into Middle Earth, and this is one of their adventures. I hope you all enjoy. Oh, and I don't own any of Tolkien's characters or his world. I'm just sort of borrowing them. Thanks
1. Chapter One

"Dearest Siri—"

            "Don't 'dearest Siri' me, Boromir," Lady Ivy Sirithwingwen scolded, her arms folded across her chest.  "You're quite late."

            "King Elessar ran into a trade dispute right at the last moment of our meeting, and begged for me and the rest of the advisors to stay and help him," Boromir explained.  "Then, seeing how late I was, I tried to find some little thing to make up for it."  His hands, which had been held behind his back in a gesture of shame, moved forward to reveal a small but beautiful bouquet of flowers.

            Ivy looked at the bouquet, then at Boromir's smiling face, and couldn't help but squeal and throw herself at him.  Boromir barely had time to set the flowers on a nearby table before catching Ivy in a hug and smiling as she covered him in kisses.  "I take it I'm forgiven," he laughed as he held her close.

            "Quite," agreed Ivy.  "Besides, you know I can't resist when you call me Siri."   She grinned and took him by the hand to lead him to the table where she had food waiting.  "It's a little cold by now, but that can't be helped," she said, a little apologetically.  "Next time I see Avi, I'll have her talk with Aragorn about keeping people late.  No one appreciates it very much."

            "Least of all my Siri, it seems," Boromir said, smiling.

            "Very least of all," concurred Ivy.

            They dug into their tepid fare then, talking of their days and whatnot.  Ivy spoke of some of the broadsword instructions she was giving to the novices of the palace guard, and Boromir updated Ivy on the latest news coming to the royal court.  After a bit of this, however, Boromir leaned back in his chair and looked critically at his beloved.  "Are you troubled, Ivy?"

            "A little.  How did you guess?" Ivy asked.

            "You changed the colour of your hair," Boromir replied.  "Only when you are bothered by something do you streak your hair blues or purples, or even just leave it dark black altogether.  To see blue in your hair causes me some worry."

            "It may prove to be nothing," said Ivy, sighing and standing to leave the table.  Boromir followed suit, and the two left to go sit together in Ivy's sitting room that adjoined their bedroom, while a few servants hurried to clear the table.  Ivy flopped onto her divan, and looked up at Boromir, who was staring curiously at her.  "I can't explain it, dear—I've just got this bad feeling about things.  I don't even know _what_ things, exactly."

            Boromir sat next to her, and she snuggled close to him in his arms.  "Well, I don't know exactly what to say, Siri, dear.  Let's just hope that you're off on your feelings this time.  I don't want anything to happen to you."

            "Nor do I want anything to happen to you, or anyone," Ivy said, a small pout forming on her lips.  She looked into his eyes, and said softly, "I love you too much to even imagine you hurt or in danger."

            "And I love you just as much, and always will," said Boromir deeply.  He then took her face gently in his hands and kissed her tenderly.  They remained like this, close and kissing, for quite some time afterward, but naturally, neither one minded quite so much.

                              *                   *                   *                   *                   *

            "You didn't have to keep Boromir and the other advisors for a trade dispute," Avi said to Aragorn after the abovementioned had departed from the conference room.  "Either one of us could have easily handled it, no da."

            "I simply wanted more opinions, is all," Aragorn said.  "We can't have any dissention amongst the ranks right now, as you well know.  Things have been up in the air for so long now.  I just want people to start feeling safe and stable again, all over Middle Earth."

            "I know, love," sighed Avi.  She smoothed out her skirt and laid her hands in her lap, staring at her fingers.  Her eyes rested on the ring given to her by Aragorn when they were wed, and on the elven ring worn before by Cara, the Green Wizard, and by Gandalf the Grey before her, both of which reminded her of her responsibility to the people of Middle Earth.  "Our arrival here certainly caused an uproar."

            "Only because it was concurrent with an uprising of problems from Mordor," Aragorn said.  He knelt down in front of Avi, and took her hands in his.  "My love, this is not your fault, nor any of your companions.  If nothing else, all of Middle Earth holds you in all in awe, from the way you all fought against the resurgence of evil.  You yourself took great risk to infiltrate Barad-dur with us, and took even greater risk at stealing the Palantir back for us.  The people of Gondor love their new queen, I assure you."

            "Ah yes, they love their _new_ queen," Avi said.  "But what of the old queen?"

            Aragorn sighed sadly.  "Arwen was never happy here.  She hated being so far from her people, and she rather disliked the pains caused by being mortal.  We began to grow apart, and when you came along, I realized who I had been destined for all along.  Arwen returned to Rivendell and regained her immortality, and is beginning to feel better now that she's back with her people.  And I am here with you, my true love, and that's all that matters to me."

            Avi smiled at him and squeezed his hand.  "And it's all that matters to me as well."

            "Wonderful," Aragorn said.  He stood and helped his queen to her feet, and the pair left to take a turn in the gardens.  As they settled on the edge of a fountain to watch the sunset, Aragorn said, "Avi, in two days hence, I leave for the Shire."

            "That's right—for your yearly gathering with all the gents from before," Avi said.  "I wonder if Gandalf will make a surprise appearance again."

            "We can only hope," Aragorn said, smiling.  "You do not mind staying behind, truly?  We need someone here to keep an eye on things, and I trust you with my life."

            "I don't mind at all," replied Avi.  "A few members of the harem said they may visit, and Cara promised she'd be on call for everything.  Besides, it would be good practice for me to take some of the administrative duties on full force."

            "Know you'll be in my every thought while I'm gone" Aragorn declared, kissing Avi gently.

            "Just as you'll be in mine," said Avi, returning his kiss.

            They sat, taking in the gorgeous sunset over the magnificent city of Minas Tirith, just enjoying each other's company for a while.  As things grew dark, Avi said, "I'd better warn Lily and Primrose of your arrival.  You know they like to be prepared for everything."  
            "Of course," agreed Aragorn.  "Then, I think we should take time to make every moment we're together last, since we've never been separated for so long before."

            "That sounds wonderful, Aragorn," Avi said, smiling brightly.  Hands clasped, the King and Queen of Gondor left to do just that.

                              *                   *                   *                   *                   *

            Primrose Gardener, very newly Primrose Baggins, was cleaning up after Frodo's breakfast when she heard a knock at her door.  A small frown crossed her face, for she wasn't expecting anyone, and her house was certainly in no state for visitors.  She sighed, wiped her soapy hands on her apron and went to answer the door.  When she opened it, her frown changed to a grin.  "Lily Bunce!  Come right in and don't mind the mess."

            "Please, Prim, this is immaculate compared to the state my home is in," laughed Lily as she hugged Primrose and then followed her in.  "And what with Pippin staying the night more and more frequently…"

            "Lily!  What will people say if they find out!" gasped Primrose.  "This is Hobbiton, not back home.  People—or, rather, Hobbits—talk."

            "It's not as if we're being improper, as it were," Lily said defensively.  "And, if they say anything, I'll just show them this."  She smiled smugly, and held out a hand, and Primrose squealed happily upon seeing a plain but pretty ring on Lily's finger.

            "Lily Took!" Primrose said, grinning.  "How wonderful!"

            "That's right about what I said," Lily giggled.  "There's still some time until the wedding, naturally, but it's official. I can't wait!"

            "So is this what brought you here so early, before either of us got the breakfast dishes done?" Primrose asked, returning to hers as she spoke.

            "Partially," Lily admitted.  "But there's more to it than that.  Avi called me last night, via Palantir."

            "Really?  Is anything wrong?" said Primrose, sounding worried.

            "No, actually.  She just wanted to warn us that Aragorn is leaving Minas Tirith to come here for the meeting two days from now."

            "Well, that's good news then, despite the fact that it means we have to get down to work preparing for this thing soon," Primrose said, smiling.  "And how is our queen, anyway?"

            Lily snickered.  "_Queen_ Avi is doing fine.  She was acting very queenly when we talked."

            "That's our Queen Avi," laughed Primrose.

            "At least we're used to addressing her as such, as she told us to after she became the queen," Lily said.  "Now, we'll just have to knock her down a notch or two when we next see her."

            "That we will," agreed Primrose.

            That taken care of, the two hobbit women began taking part in one of a hobbit's favourite past times—gossiping.  Lily proved her title as the gossip queen of the Shire by filling Primrose in on every tiny detail of every little thing she could think of.  Then, they started making preliminary plans for both the reunion and the wedding, with Primrose already jotting down a guest list, having given up on cleaning altogether.  It was in this state that Frodo and Pippin found them.

            "What are you two up to?" Frodo asked, kissing his wife on the cheek.

            "Planning," replied Primrose.  "You heard Pippin and Lily's good news, of course?"

            "That I did.  I can't wait to see how extravagant an affair you plan.  Just keep in mind, you won't outdo a Baggins wedding."  Frodo laughed and winked at Lily and Pippin.

            "We'll just see, Frodo Baggins," replied Pippin, grinning.  "Now, what about second breakfast?"

            "I'll second breakfast you," threatened Lily.

                              *                   *                   *                   *                   *

            "What did Avi want?" Elrond asked as Luint returned from the Palantir.

            "She just likes to hear herself talk," Luint replied jokingly as she rejoined Elrond in bed.  "She reminded me that the reunion for you all is soon, and while Aragorn is away, she's in charge."

            "Heaven help us," laughed Elrond.

            "My sentiments exactly," Luint said, snickering.  She moved close to Elrond, feeling the muscles in his chest, and sighed.  "Will _you_ be going this year?"

            "Only if you do as Avi is doing and stand in my place," Elrond said seriously, although he allowed one of his hands to play through Luint's hair.  "Elledan and Elohir (I know these names are probably wrong—I'll look them up later) are in Gondor at present, and Arwen isn't exactly in the best state of mind to act as a princess."

            "Truly," Luint agreed.  "Maybe you should send her to visit Galadriel in Lothlorien?  That might help."

            "I may just.  But I think we'll see if she starts feeling better on her own," Elrond said.

            "Let's just hope she does.  She won't admit it, but our permanence in this world really does rankle her.  But I'd be happy to look after things.  Lord knows I could use the practice in being something of a queen myself," said Luint thoughtfully.

            "You'll do fine, Luint," Elrond assured her.  Then, a glint came into his eyes.  "Now, where were we before Avi interrupted us?"

            "Somewhere around here," Luint replied, smiling and kissing Elrond deeply.  
  


                              *                   *                   *                   *                   *

            "Sure, we'll come and visit you," Lady Jade Greenleaf said. "I'll bring Lewen with, if not more of them.  We'll have a party or something."

            "Wonderful," came Avi's voice through the Palantir, sounding relieved.  "I'm going to be _so_ lost here alone.  Aragorn and I have grown rather attached, no da."

            "Yeah, I noticed," Jade said, rolling her eyes and thanking the stars her friend couldn't see her.  "Well, Lady Greenleaf herself is here, so I'll tell her and save you a call.  She'll be back in Lothlorien soon, though.  Good luck until we get there."

            "Thanks, Jade.  See you then," Avi said.

            Jade felt the connection break, and sighed deeply.  The Ladies Jessica and Telepavriel Greenleaf stood nearby, waiting to hear the news from Gondor.  "Anything special?" inquired Telepavriel.

            "Just a warning that Aragorn's leaving and an invitation to Gondor to anyone our little husband-type leaves here in Mirkwood," Jade said indifferently, leading her harem sisters away from the Palantir.

            "Oh, I'll definitely go," said Jessica eagerly.  "It's been so long since we've seen Gondor or Avi, and I know she'll be missing Aragorn as much as I'll be missing Legolas."

            Jade blanched.  "Oh, puke!  You'll both be fine!"  She was one of the older members of Legolas' harem, and had never had any patience with the overly romantic types of things many women lived for.  The other girls in the harem had quickly gotten used to it, but secretly wondered if Jade simply said things like that to cover up for a desire to have a bit of romance in her life herself.

            "We all will be fine," Telepavriel said, trying to smooth things over nonetheless.  "I think we should just let Legloas go to the Shire alone.  We all went with when the reunion was in Gondor, and it was such a hassle for everyone.  Let's just give everybody some breathing room."

            "Good idea.  We'll bring it up at our group meeting tonight.  But _after_ we revise the schedule," said Jade, narrowing her eyes.  "I haven't had my alone time with Legolas in ages, because I traded with Lewen to get her to shut up.  Then, Lady Greenleaf showed up, and I had to wait more.  I'm sick of getting screwed over."

            "Sure, we'll fix it—so long as you never call it 'alone time' again," shuddered Telepavriel.

            Jade laughed.  "No problem."

            It was then that they ran into Lewen.  She was an absolute dear, but her utter devotion stepped over into obsession, and it sometimes drove the others crazy—especially Jade, who could only take so much of such things.  "Oh, girls, I'm so glad I found you.  Who's presiding today's meeting?"

            "I am," Jade said warily.

            "Great.  I had something I wanted to address, but I thought I'd run it past you all first," Lewen said, her eyes glowing.

            "Go for it," Jessica said, wondering amusedly what it could be this time.

            "I know I changed my name to Aeryn and then to Lewen when I first got here, but while I was admiring Legolas' _gorgeous_ hair at breakfast this morning, I thought of the _perfect_ name for me.  He'll be flattered, I'm sure," gushed Lewen, absolutely enraptured with her idea.

            "Oh, I'm sure," Telepavriel said, trying to hide a smile.

            "So what is it?" asked Jessica.

            "Legolust Greenleaf," said Lewen proudly.

            The three elven girls stared at their harem sister in something like awe for a moment.  "That's …nice, Lewen," said Telepavriel cautiously.

            "Very original," added Jessica, coughing to cover a giggle.

            "Oh, god!" groaned Jade, throwing her hands in the air.  "I'm outta here.  We'll talk at the meeting about all this."

            Jade stalked off, muttering under her breath.  Telepavriel was not far behind, mumbling something about going to practice some archery while trying desperately to stifle her giggles.  Lewen, looking crestfallen, turned to Jessica.  "Is it really that bad?" she asked, sounding near tears.  
            "Of course not," Jessica said assuredly.  She put her arm around her sister's shoulder and fixed a smile on her face as she listened yet again to how amazingly beautiful their Legolas was.

                   *                   *                   *                   *                    *

            Lady V, the beautiful wife of Faramir, sat and watched her friend, Lady Georgina, ride her horse hard towards a jousting dummy.  V flinched as Georgina's lance struck the dummy, and gasped as she barely avoided getting unhorsed.  Georgina swung her horse around as if she were readying for another charge, but instead headed for the sword targets set up on the field.  Lady V's eyes widened when she saw how swiftly Georgina drew her sword, and the subsequently knocked the targets away with remarkable force.  After taking out all the targets, Georgina reined in her horse, dismounted, and sent it with a stablehand for grooming and water before making her way over to V.

            "Nice work," Lady V commented, giving the Rider her own water.

            "Thanks," Georgina replied, taking the water gratefully.  "Ivy will be impressed with the sword work, I think.  I'll show her when we get to Gondor."

            "You'll be sorely missed around here if you go, Lady Georgina," a voice said from behind them.  She and Lady V turned to see Eomer, the speaker, and Faramir along with him.  "The Lady Ivy isn't the only one you'd impress."

            "Indeed, you've already impressed us," Faramir said, moving to sit with V.  We'd certainly appreciate it if you would forgo your visit to Gondor and its city and join us in the pleasures of the Shire instead."

            "We've already told you, Faramir, we don't want to hinder you or Prim or Lily or any of the girls there," V said patiently.

            "Besides, this is your reunion, not ours," Georgina reminded them.  "One of the reasons why we want to go to Minas Tirith is to talk with Ivy, Avi, and whoever else shows up about a Sisterhood reunion, anyway.  We can't hardly do that from the Shire."

            "We know.  We just thought we'd try one last time to convince you," sighed Faramir.

            "It'll make our returns to Rohan even sweeter, then," V said, smiling.

            "Exactly.  Now, you gentlemen had better go finish preparing yourselves, just as we should do the same.  I, for one, need to get this chain mail cleaned before setting out, and we need to arm Lady V here with something a little more substantial for our journety.  Those Dunlendings are still out there," Georgina said.

            Eomer laughed.  "They're really not anything to worry about, Lady Georgie.  There's just a few annoying ones out there.  They shouldn't give you any trouble."

            I remember that one, though," said V, frowning.  "Now, she was _really_ annoying.  Maybe I will bring a knife or something, just in case."

            "Well, then, let us all retire to the armory," Faramir said, taking his lady by the hand.  "I guess it's time to prepare for some long journeys."


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer junk**  I am not Tolkien, nor whomever owns the subsidiary now (I forget his name at present).  I do not own the characters from his novels, nor do I own any of the other characters, sans the one based on myself.  I realize I have toyed with what happened after the trilogy, and have brought people back and some nonsense.  Seeing as I also created further strife and brought girls from our world into Tolkien's, I think I can allow myself a little leeway.  Thanks to everyone who is letting me do this.  And now, part two.

            "I can't _believe_ we're going to let him go alone!" wailed Lewen.

            "He's a big boy, Lewen.  He can take care of himself," Jade said.

            "But I'm going to miss him so much!" Lewen sounded near tears.

            Jade sighed.  "I know you are.  We all are.  To be honest, he's not even gone yet and I miss him.  But we're big girls, too, you know.  We can handle this."

            "Of course we can," Jessica said, smiling.  "Now, let's go say good-bye to Lostcirithial.  She's going back to Lothlorien today."

            The three girls headed off, looking for the abovementioned member of their harem.  They found the Lady Greenleaf with Telepavariel and the rest of the harem members, and, of course, their Legolas.  Lewen's eyes went starry, and she scampered ahead of her two companions so she could get to him first.  "Hello, my love," she said adoringly.

            "Hi, Lewen," Legolas said, his voice slightly heavy.  His eyes rolled upward, and Telepavariel snickered, but Lewen didn't notice.  Before she could start gushing, Legolas turned to Lady Greenleaf and said, "Must you go so soon?"

            "Yeah, we miss you when you go for so long," Jade added.

            "I miss you all—you know that," Lostcirithial Greenleaf said.  She turned her ring around on her finger absently, and gave them a sad smile.  "Lady Galadriel's ring carries much responsibility, however.  Sometimes, I wish I had never agreed to take it.  Being queen of Golden Wood isn't all it's cracked up to be."

            "Well, we'll come visit _you_ in Lothlorien next time," Telepavariel said determinedly.  "We'll have a grand old time."

            "Plenty of good-looking elves there," joked Jade.

            "Jade!  None of them could compare to our Legolas!" Lewen gasped, looking horrified.

            "It was a _joke_, Lewen," groaned Jade.

            "Well, I guess I had better get going—daylight is burning," Lady Greenleaf said pointedly, trying to ward of a possible argument.  "Hopefully, I'll see you all soon."

            "Hey!  We could try to stop in on our way to Minas Tirith," Jade said, and one could almost see the light bulb turn on over her head as she said it.  "We've got no set time for getting there, and it _would_ be fun to visit."

            "It sounds like a great idea.  We'll plan it via Palantir when I get back," replied Lady Greenleaf.  "But the day does grow long, and we must get moving."

            Everyone hugged her then, and the host of elves assigned to escort the Lady Lostcirithial Greenleaf back to Lothlorien started to ride south, with the lady in the middle, waving to them.  They all waved back, and Jessica sighed.  "I wish it wasn't so hard to get around in this world.  We could see everyone so much more frequently, then."

            "Was it really that much easier to get around in your world?" Legolas enquired.

            "Oh, incredibly!" exclaimed Lewen.  She took Legolas' arm, and began leading him off, but Jade was quick to the draw.

            "I _don't_ think so, Lewen Greenleaf!  This is my time, and you very well know it!" Jade cried.

            "But…but--!" stammered Lewen.

            "She's right, Lewen, dear," Legolas reminded her, trying to keep the relief out of his voice.  "Your turn will come around again soon." He then took Jade by the arm, and led her towards her rooms as she explained in low tones why it was easier to get to places in her Earth, even though she knew he'd probably have a hard time believing a word of what she said.

            The rest of the harem started scattering off, leaving Lewen, Jessica, and Telepavariel standing outside, where they still watched Lady Greenleaf and her entourage grow smaller and smaller as they moved farther and farther away.  Finally, when they all moved out of their sight, they turned to leave.  After a moment, Jessica and Telepavariel realized something.

            "Lewen?  Everything okay?" Jessica asked.

            "He called me dear," Jessica sighed, melting to the floor and just sitting there, smiling.

            Telepavariel and Jessica looked at each other and smiled while shaking their heads, then continued on their way.

                              *                   *                   *                   *                   *

            It was a few hours after they left Edoras, and Lady V had to admit she still wasn't used to traveling like this.  It didn't seem like they had gone very far at all; and, compared to traveling by car, they hadn't.  In the back of her head, however, she knew that they were more than likely making very good time.  Georgie made sure of that, keeping them moving at a very brisk pace.

            There were a few reasons for this.  Much to V's dismay, Georgina had declined Eomer's offer to have a host of Riders accompany them.  As Georgie had said, having more people along would make their trip go more slowly, and they wanted to have as much time to spend in Minas Tirith as possible.  To make up for their lack in security, Georgie pushed them a little bit harder than she normally would have.  Also, neither woman was a huge fan of sleeping in the wilderness, if for no other reason than the fact that a watch always had to be kept.  The less time spent sleeping on their voyage, the better.

            They did have to stop every now and again, to rest the horses and get fresh water and such, and they did so about mid-afternoon.  Georgina took the horses to find grass to graze properly on for a bit, and Lady V decided to get fresh water for their skins.  As she knelt down to fill Georgina's skin from a nearby stream, she got a creeping sensation on the back of her neck.  Slowly, she swiveled her head around, but saw nothing save a few overgrown bushes amidst a grove of trees.  Lady V shrugged and continued with the water.

            But the feeling didn't go away.  A few moments later, V felt the need to ascertain that there was no one but her there.  She glanced over her shoulder, and just saw the same foliage behind her—

            Except that it somehow seemed…closer than before.

            Curious, Lady V stopped her filling and rose to her feet.  She did a double-take when she saw the bushes shudder, as if in fear.  "Who's there?" V demanded, trying to keep the fear out of her voice but failing miserably.

            V heard a sigh, and the bushes were cast aside to reveal a leaf-covered and disgruntled-looking Dunlending.  V groaned inwardly when she realized it was that same annoying Dunlending that had taunted them when she and Faramir had gone riding a few weeks before.  "What do you want?" V asked.

            "To rid Middle Earth of all you Riders," she said matter-of-factly, a scowl on her dirty face.  "But I'll just settle for a few at a time."

            Lady V reached to her side and pulled out a short sword, holding it at the ready.  "I dare you to try."

            The Dunlending looked at her knife, which looked pitifully small compared to V's sword, and laughed sheepishly.  "Um, well…maybe I can cut you a deal.  You put that sword away, and I'll not only let you live, but I'll tell you something that you might want to hear."

            "Don't waste my time," muttered Lady V, sheathing her sword and walking back to the stream.

            "Oh, come on!" whined the Dunlending, hurrying after her.  "It concerns you and your friends!"

            "Not interested," Lady V said nonchalantly.

            "But I'm our soothsayer!  What I see always comes to pass!" The Dunlending was starting to act childish now, stamping her feet and whining even more.  It was setting V's teeth on edge.  Before she could do anything, however, she heard Georgina's voice, calling her name.  The Dunlending gasped, and V heard her whisper, "The Lady Rider," in awe before bolting.

            "There you are," Georgie said, leading the horses to drink near where V had just finished filling the skins with water.  "Just a few more minutes, and we'll be on our way again."

            "Good!" said Lady V, relief in her voice.  Georgie raised an eyebrow at her, and Lady V recounted what had happened.  When she finished, Georgie sighed and shook her head.

            "We'll try to go a little faster, to stay ahead of that annoying Dunlending," Georgie said.  Then, she frowned and furrowed her brow in thought.  "Although, I'd almost like to hear what she has to say…"

            V looked at her friend in disbelief.  "Georgie, it was a Dunlending!  What does it matter what she had to say?"

            "Dunlending soothsayers are unusually accurate in their predictions.  I've had this feeling for a bit now, and I'd kind of like to know if I'm right or not."

            "What feeling?" asked Lady V.

            "We'll save it for when we stop for the night," Georgie said.  "For now, let's leave our little visitor in the dust."

            The women gathered their things, then mounted up and took off, hoping the rest of their journey would be uneventful.

                              *                   *                   *                   *                   *

            "Primrose, can I—"

            "Not now, Frodo."

            "But I just wanted to—"

            "I'm _busy_, Frodo."

            "Rose, please just let me—"

            "What?" Primrose said irritably, resting her hands on her hips.  "What is so important that you have to keep interrupting me?"

            Frodo smiled.  "I thought I'd thank you, is all.  You're doing so much to make this reunion a success, and I wanted to let you know that I do appreciate it."

            Primrose blushed and moved to hug her husband.  "I love you, dear," she said softly.

            "And I love you," Frodo replied, holding his wife close to him.  He wanted to stay like this for a while, since Primrose had been keeping herself constantly busy with preparations, but he suddenly remembered something.  "Oh, Rose, Uncle Bilbo is coming!"

            "Bilbo?  But he hasn't left Rivendell in ages!" exclaimed Primrose.  

            "I know.  That's why it's so exciting," Frodo said.  "He and Elrond are coming together."

            "What about Luint and Caliam?  Will they be coming with them?" Primrose asked hopefully.

            Frodo shook his head.  "I know Luint has to stay behind to play queen while Elrond is away.  As for Caliam, well…"

            "She's already here!"

            Primrose squealed and ran to embrace the waiting Caliam Baggins.  "You two!" laughed Primrose.  "You always know how to make things out of the ordinary!"

            "Naturally!  We're Bagginses!" Caliam said proudly, grinning from ear to ear.  "And Bagginses have to stick together, you know.  I heard you were running yourself ragged, and decided to come down.  I was visiting the Brandybucks, anyway, so it wasn't much of a hike."

            "Oh, this is too wonderful!" said Primrose happily.  "Between you, me, Lily, and the other girls, everything will be perfect."

            "What about the boys and me?" asked Frodo, giving them a look.

            Both Primrose and Caliam turned and stared pointedly at him.  Frodo tried to hold out, but he knew there was no use.  "I guess I'll go get Sam and see about getting that yardwork you asked me to do yesterday done."

            "You do that," Primrose said, leaning over to kiss Frodo's cheek.  "I'm sure everyone is already on their way here."

            Frodo nodded and gave his Primrose a smile before heading out to find his friend, leaving the ladies in Bag End to catch up on things and continue planning.

                              *                   *                   *                   *                   *

            "Please be careful," Avi said.

            "You said that already," laughed Aragorn.

            "Well, I'll say it again—be careful," said Avi, giving him a winning smile.

            "Of course I will.  I want to return safely to you, don't I?" Aragorn replied.

            "I'd certainly hope so."

            The royal couple moved towards the stables, where Aragorn's horse was packed and waiting.  "Do you really have to go alone?  You could leave tomorrow with Boromir, or the two of you could wait for word from Eomer and Faramir—" Avi said, her voice growing a little more high pitched with each word, until Aragorn cut her off before it could sound shrill.

            "Avi, I'll be fine.  I traveled alone for most of my life.  Besides, I think I need this.  It has been a long time since I've been alone, anyway, what with being king.  I think the solitude will not only be helpful, but welcome," Aragorn explained patiently.

            "You know me.  I'm a very good worrier," Avi said, shaking her head at herself.

            "I've noticed.  Try not to be so good at it," teased Aragorn.

            "Just do me a favour and get someone to send me a message by Palantir when you get near one—Lady Greenleaf or Jade or something," Avi requested.  "It would make me feel better."

            "For you, anything," Aragorn replied, kissing Avi deeply.  "But I had better get going."

            "Enjoy your solitude," Avi said, squeezing Aragorn's hand in hers.

            "Enjoy being queen," said Aragorn, smiling.

            "Oh, believe you me, I will," laughed Avi.

            They said their "I love you"s and "I'll miss you"s, and Avi stood and watched Aragorn ride off at a quick trot, trying not to cry.  She cursed the tears that came to her eyes, and brusquely dashed away the few that fell with the back of her hand.  "Get a hold of yourself, Avi," she scolded herself out loud.

            "I was going to say much of the same thing."

            "Cara Heble, don't _do_ that!" cried Avi, jumping.  She turned and saw the eternally smirking Green Wizard standing there, looking very pleased with herself.  "You know I hate it when you just…_appear_ like that!"

            "I hardly just _appeared_," said Cara.  "I rode up to the palace like any normal person and they directed me to you."

            "Not very magical, Cara," Avi snickered.

            "Not all magic is what you think, my Queen," replied Cara, giving Avi a mocking little bow.  "But we're going astray.  I said I'd be here for you while Aragorn was gone, and here I am.  So what's on the agenda?"

            "Keeping me sane," sighed Avi.

            "A difficult task, but I'll do my best," Cara said, sounding as serious as possible.

            "Brainless git," snapped Avi.

            "Stupid prat," countered Cara.

            The Wizard and the Queen cracked up at their standard exchange of insults, and then ehaded for the castle proper, ready to face whatever duties were thrown at them.

                              *                   *                   *                   *                   *


	3. Chapter Three

If elves stopped to make camp, much like Lady Georgina and Lady V had to, Lady Lostcirithial Greenleaf and her company certainly would have taken quite some time to return to Lothlorien, despite its relative closeness to Mirkwood. But thanks to the stamina of the elves, they made it by nightfall of their second day of travel. As much as the Lady Greenleaf hated to be away from her Legolas, as well as the other members of the harem, she had to admit, it was good to be back in the Golden Wood, the place she now called home. A smile of relief fell upon her pretty face as she caught sight of Lothlorien, and she urged everyone to move a bit faster.  
Per usual, Haldir and his guard were waiting to intercept these supposed visitors. Seeing that it was the Lady Greenleaf, however, they relaxed and hurried to meet them. "It is good to have you home, Lady," Haldir said, smiling brightly.  
"It's good to be home, Haldir," Lady Greenleaf replied. "I hate to be away for very long."  
She turned to the members of Haldir's guard, and instructed them to find comfortable arrangements for her company. After they left, Haldir followed her to her chambers, to fill her in on all that had happened during her absence.  
"Things were relatively quiet. People still stay away from these woods, thankfully. A few traveling parties went down the road that just passes us, probably from Lake Town, headed towards Gondor and Minas Tirith. Ever since King Elessar had the road connecting many of the cities of Men built, more people than ever have been traveling, just because they can." Haldir laughed a little at this.  
Then, he frowned a little, and Lady Greenleaf paused in her unpacking and settling in to concentrate fully on her most trusted companion. "We did have one visitor," he said warily.  
"Indeed?" asked Lady Greenleaf.  
"Yes. The Lady Arwen showed up rather unexpectedly yesterday. Luint tried to get a hold of you via the Palantir, probably to tell you Arwen was coming. She hasn't done much of anything, really—a lot of wandering and resting, although it does seem like she's waiting for something. She hasn't talked much at all," Haldir explained.  
"Hmm…well, maybe I'll try to talk to Luint about it in the morning, or even Arwen herself. Maybe she just wanted a change of scenery. I'm not exceptionally concerned," Lady Greenleaf said. "Right now, I need some of that rest myself. Thanks for the update, Haldir."  
"Quite welcome, milady," Haldir replied. "I'll leave you to it, and check on the Mirkwood Elves."  
Haldir left to do just that, and the Lady Greenleaf finished settling herself in. She braided her hair and threw a light dressing gown over a lounging outfit, and moved to lie out on her bed. Curiosity over Arwen's appearance in Lothlorien took over her mind, and she threw ideas around in it for some time. She didn't even notice her weariness overtake her…  
They were running, hard, as if their lives depended on it. She watched from overhead, and saw Avi, Georgie, Jade, Ivy, Primrose…others, all running…towards or away from something, she couldn't tell…  
Rain started to fall, but it was hot, like tears…Lewen, Lily, Lady V…they were crying…their tears fell like rain out of the clouds, mixed with the tears of others…  
…and darkness fell, and she felt a searing pain in her heart…  
Lady Lostcirithial Greenleaf gasped awake, gripping at her heart, which was beating almost painfully hard and fast. She tried to steady herself, but found it was useless. Breathing heavily, she muttered to herself, "The Mirror…" and stumbled out of her bed, away from her chambers.  
Lady Greenleaf had experienced dreams like this before, and she had discovered that gazing into Galadriel's mirror often helped her sort out her thoughts, and make sense of things. Her only thought now, however, was not of the dream, but of just getting to the mirror without collapsing. Her breathing was laboured, and her chest hurt, but she moved as quickly as she could to the fabled mirror, hoping against hope that it would ease her pain.  
She filled the waiting carafe with water, and spilled some in her haste to pour it into the basin. As the water settled to become the Mirror, Lady Greenleaf watched with anticipation for images to begin forming. At first, she thought the water was just cloudy, but when she felt her head slowly but surely began to ache, she knew it was something else, something more.  
The water was cloudy, because what the Lady Greenleaf was seeing was clouds; dark, ominous clouds filling the whole mirror. With every moment, the clouds grew darker and thicker, and in turn, Lady Greenleaf's pain grew worse and more intense. She tried to withstand it for as long as she could, but as the clouds became thunderheads, each lightning flash sent a blinding pain through her entire body. Her vision blurred, and she collapsed, falling back from the Mirror to the ground below.  
Before she fell into almost blissful unconsciousness, Lady Greenleaf remembered what she had told the harem. Yes, the Lady Galadriel's ring carried much responsibility.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Georgie had taken the second watch of the night on the third—and hopefully final—night of their journey, and she awoke Lady V at the first light of the fourth day since they left Edoras. Seeing the last traces of night still in the sky, Lady V grumbled a bit, but Georgie paid her no heed as she readied the horses for the day ahead. When V realized she wasn't getting the attention she wanted, she simply garbed herself for another day of travel rather silently, and mounted her horse and followed Georgie in much the same silent manner. Georgie noticed this, but left it alone, deciding to just let V start her day any way she wanted.  
In starting her day the way she wanted, the Lady V let her thoughts drift to more pleasant things, and they immediately settled on Faramir. She smiled slightly as she thought about her husband, still somewhat amazed that he had married her so soon after Eowyn had left him. Faramir said that V had helped to ease his aching heart, and had taught it to work again, and she blushed just thinking about his words. He had never told her why Eowyn had left—she was gone before the girls had even arrived in Middle Earth—and she had never pursued it, content with just being with him.  
Lady V let her thoughts stay on Faramir for a while, and when Georgie glanced back to see the dreamy smile on her friend's face, she hid a smile herself. She knew what V was thinking, which immediately brought Eomer to mind. Georgie quickly pushed those thoughts aside, for she still didn't know what to do with that whole situation just yet. She focused on the matter at hand, and kept her eyes peeled for any danger around them. They had just entered a wooded area of the road, and the low hanging branches caused her some worry.  
Up ahead, Georgie saw branches bouncing around, and she turned to warn V to watch out for the swinging boughs. Obviously, a pack of squirrels or something was up there, causing the ruckus. She was surprised to see Lady V's eyes widen when she turned, and almost jumped out of her saddle when V pointed and screamed, "Look out!"  
Georgina yanked on the reins of her horse, but the horse had already halted, rearing in alarm. V's horse did the same, and the ladies struggled to calm their horses and keep from falling. When they managed to right everything, they looked forward again, and saw a swarthy, female figure hanging from a branch by her knees.  
"'lo, Riders!" the Dunlending said cheerfully.  
"Not you again!" groaned Lady V.  
"I told you I had things to tell you," the Dunlending said in a sing-song, reminding tone.  
Georgie, however, was in no mood. "Just who do you think you are?" she demanded.  
"Why, I'm me, of course!" replied the Dunlending.  
"You know what I mean! Don't you have a name or something?" Georgie cried, exasperated already.  
"I sure do. Don't you?" said the Dunlending, smirking at the Lady Rider.  
"Why, you little--!" growled Georgie, but when she reached out to strangle the annoying Dunlending, a la Homer Simpson, said Dunlending laughed and swung back into the trees, and Georgie nearly fell out of her saddle again. Lady V looked up, saw the branches shaking wildly, and gasped when the Dunlending dropped in front of her this time, hanging by her arms like a monkey.  
"We really don't have time for this," Lady V said crossly, glaring at the Dunlending.  
"Oh, I think you should make time," their unwanted visitor said, swinging slightly from the branch. "Everyone makes time for the Soothsayer."  
"Fine, then. If everyone does it," sighed V. "We'll jump off a cliff the next time everyone does that, too."  
"That's next Thursday, by the Shire Reckoning," the Dunlending informed her seriously. Before Georgie or V could react to that, she hurried on to speak her piece. "I have seen things. They concern you, and others you care for."  
"The girls, you mean?" Georgie asked.  
"Yes, and no," the Dunlending replied. "The visions weren't clear—they never are, really—but if what I saw is true, then much woe will befall you, and those you are closest to. Take great care, Lady Riders."  
"Why tell us this?" Lady V wondered aloud.  
"Soothsayer's duty," the Dunlending said, shrugging slightly and almost falling out of the tree. "Plus, it just seemed like the thing to do at the time."  
"But what exactly do you mean, much woe? What is going to happen?" said Georgie, her voice full of concern.  
"Just what I say. But that is all. Bye, now." And with that, the Dunlending hoisted herself into the tree, and out of sight. Georgie and Lady V called for her to come back, but soon saw it was in vain. A little disgruntled and more than a little put out and worried, the pair set out on the road for Minas Tirith again.  
They rode in silence for a while before Lady V asked, "What do you think it all means?"  
"No idea," Georgie admitted. "But I do know we have to get to Minas Tirith tonight. Avi will want to hear this. Whatever it is, it's nothing good."  
V nodded, then frowned. "You know, that Dunlending looked a bit familiar."  
"Familiar how?" Georgie inquired.  
"I don't know, exactly. Like someone from back home…" V explained.  
"Well, the only one of us we've never been able to place is Afrai…" Georgie said.  
"She might pull something like this…and it would explain why she went all this way to tell us about her vision…" added V.  
"Nah," they both said in unison, and let the subject drop.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Um, your Majesty?"  
"Yes?" said Avi distractedly as she practiced some simple rapier thrusts on a sparring dummy.  
The Lady Ivy Sirithwingwen is here to see you and she...um, politely informed me to tell you that she won't take 'she's busy' as an answer," the guard said nervously.  
"What are you waiting for, then, lad?" Avi said, skewering the devil straight through. "Send her in. No sense in getting her angrier."  
"Yes, my Queen," the young guard replied, and left to get the "visitor". Avi shook her head and sheathed her rapier. She then leaned it against the wall and traded it for her two thin blades that were her pride and joy. She knew Ivy well enough, and knew she'd have to get her mind off of whatever was troubling her somehow. Avi knew firsthand that a little skirmish now and then was a great remedy against anger.  
And Ivy certainly was angry. Her face was as red as Avi's hair, and she had clenched her teeth firmly. She opened them only to demand loudly, "Where is he, Avi?!"  
"I know not of what you speak," Avi replied calmly, drawing her swords. "Now have at you, Lady."  
Ivy growled and unsheathed her sword, then took a wild swing, which Avi deftly dodged. As their blades clashed back and forth, Ivy grunted her explanation. "Boromir didn't meet me for dinner, nor did he come home to me. While Aragorn is away, you're his master. Now where is he!"  
She let out a wild scream and flipped over Avi's head, but the red lady was ready. She braced both blades against the almost deadly blow delivered by the elven woman, and forced her back. The swift parries, thrusts, swings, turns, and so forth continued as Avi said, "I saw your beloved not at all today, which had me sorely vexed. I value his advice highly. Indeed, I had hoped you would know of his whereabouts."  
"Well, obviously, I don't!" exclaimed Ivy, now forcing Avi back in a frenzy of strikes. "We've got to find him before I lose my sanity!" She twirled her sword over her head, and sliced downward to deliver the final blow.  
She misjudged Avi, however. The Queen of Gondor kicked out and knocked Ivy's sword out of her hand, and turned to knock her to the ground with a second kick. Before Ivy could respond, Avi stood over her, one sword poised for attack over her head and the other set against Ivy's neck. The elven princess stared up at Avi, breathing heavily, wondering what was coming next.  
"If you do not calm down, you shall lose your head as well as your sanity, Lady," Avi said quietly, still holding her blade close to Ivy's neck. "Not by me, naturally, but by someone less inclined to pacifism." Avi smiled slightly, sheathed her blades, and helped her friend to her feet again. She sent a nearby servant for water, and led Ivy out of the training room to one of her more comfortable sitting rooms.  
After letting Ivy settle into her favourite armchair, Avi sat in a nearby chaise lounge and looked at her closely. "You are feeling better now?" she asked.  
"A little," Ivy admitted. "I'm worried and upset, but not angry anymore, thanks to that. I'm a little curious about your language, however."  
Avi laughed and blushed slightly. "I tend to fall into archaic speech when presented with situations such as this. It'll wear off soon."  
"Well, good--I don't think I could have taken much more of it," sighed Ivy, leaning back in her chair. "So you don't know where Boromir is?"  
Avi shook her head. "Not unless he joined Aragorn on his voyage to Hobbiton."  
Ivy groaned and smacked her forehead. "Of course! It is time for the guys to get together, isn't it? I had forgotten, since last year it was in Gondor, and they didn't have to leave."  
"Well, there's your answer then, most likely," Avi said simply, smiling.  
"I'm sorry, Avi," Ivy said sheepishly. "I've just got these bad feelings, is all."  
"I could tell," Avi replied, gesturing to Ivy's change in hair colour. "You only use dark blues, purples, and et cetera when you're bothered. It's still rather odd, though, that Boromir would leave without telling you where he was going. He knows that sort of thing upsets you. I'll send word to Lily to let us know when he gets to the Shire."  
"Thanks, Avi," Ivy said, grinning.  
"Anytime, Ivy, dear," Avi replied, smiling back. "Now, if you're not busy, maybe we could pick this session up when you're a little less frenzied, mind you."  
Ivy laughed and was about to accept when the guard who had admitted her entered the room. "Many apologies for not knocking, my Queen, but it's the Palantir."  
"Lily?" Avi asked hopefully.  
The young guard shook his head. "Lady Jade Greenleaf. She said to come right away, and she won't take 'I'm busy' as an answer."  
"You people," Avi sighed, shaking her head. "Come on, Ivy. You'll probably want to hear this."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The first thing Avi and Ivy heard upon entering the Palantir room was an odd wailing. They both winced at the sound, then saw Cara Heble sitting in a chair near the Palantir, with the same wincing look on her face. "Tell them to quiet whatever that is down, Avi," Cara said loudly, so as to be heard over the noise. Avi simply nodded, and placed her hand over the Palantir, closing her eyes and concentrating on making a connection.  
"Avi? Oh, thank you," she heard Jade say, relief filling her voice.  
The wailing grew louder, and Avi asked, "What is that sound? It's driving us batty."  
"Lewen and Jessica and Cela and about half of the other girls," replied Jade, and Avi detected a strain in her friend's voice. Before she could press her for information, Jade burst out with, "Oh, Avi, Legolas is gone!"  
Avi's eyes flew open from her surprise, and Cara and Ivy focused all their attention on her. "Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?"  
"Just that. We don't know where he is," Jade said miserably. A brief silence fell, and Avi heard Telepavariel and whom she thought was astera trying to calm people down, but with little success. Jade sighed, then continued. "He was supposed to leave today, but you know he wouldn't just leave without saying anything. I have this feeling something bad has happened to him."  
Avi recognized Lewen's voice as she cried, "Oh, my Legolas!" before bursting into fresh and louder sobs, as if she had heard Jade voice her fears. Jade told Telepavariel to get Lewen out of there, and obviously, several others went with them, because things grew considerably quieter after that. With that done, Jade returned her attentions to Avi. "I'm just at a loss of what to do, Avi. He just up and vanished…"  
"Something similar happened here, with Boromir," Avi told her, and quickly outlined what Ivy had told her. "There's definitely something strange going on."  
"You're telling me. So what can we do?" Jade asked.  
Avi thought for a moment, then shook her head. "We don't know enough. Maybe Legolas simply didn't want a big send off from you girls. But it might also be something more. Ask Lady Greenleaf if she's sensing anything, and I'll send word to our Hobbit gals to keep an eye out for things. If we don't hear anything in a few days—with the new roads, it should only take three or four days for Aragorn to reach Lothlorien—we'll rethink things."  
"Do you still want us to come to Minas Tirith?" said Jade.  
"Not just yet. All of you stay in Mirkwood, just in case some news comes in. You're the only one connected to the Palantir there, no da," Avi answered.  
"All righty, then. Keep me posted," Jade said, and they broke the connection. Avi sighed heavily, and sank to the floor, settling herself into a comfortable sitting position.  
"What happened?" Ivy demanded.  
"Legolas is gone, too," Avi replied listlessly.  
Both Ivy and Cara gasped, and Avi told them everything that was said. They may have been able to hear the ambient noise in the Palantir room in Mirkwood, but what had been said between Avi and Jade had been private—until then. The pair listened intently to the recap of the Queen's conversation with the elven one, then all three lapsed into silence.  
Finally, Avi spoke. "It may just be coincidence. We simply don't have all the facts. But if something is indeed happening, and someone has abducted Legolas and Boromir, which is the only logical explanation in my mind, I have a pretty good idea who might be behind all of it."  
Ivy's eyes darkened, and she nodded her understanding. "I wouldn't be surprised if she picked up where he left off. Even back home, her obsession with him was growing unhealthy," Ivy said.  
"Let's not do anything rash, though," said Cara. "Not until we know for certain. Maybe you should ask around about the other guys going to the Shire, Avi. Faramir and Eomer, Gimli, Elrond, and so on."  
"Well, Georgie and V are already on their way here, and V is my Palantir connection in Edoras," Avi informed her. "But I can try to get a hold of Luint, and Alison in the Misty Mountains…"  
"I still don't understand why Alison decided to go there, of all places," Cara commented. She, Avi, Lily, and Alison had known each other quite well before they arrived in Middle Earth.  
"She said something to me about wanting to get away from it all, but that's not the point," Avi said dismissively. "You two should probably just leave me to it. I'm going to be a while. Keep an eye out for the Rohirrim ladies—they should be here any day now." With that, Avi stood and returned to the Palantir.  
Cara and Ivy looked at each other, shrugged at Avi's bluntness, and left to do as she suggested. Hopefully, their fears would be for naught, and their friends would get there soon.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The guards in the west cupola of the lowest wall of Minas Tirith were both honoured and nervous to have both Lady Ivy and the Wizard Cara Heble on watch with them. They didn't want to be rude, but at the same time, they didn't want to say something stupid to their esteemed guests. They were lucky, though—neither woman was talking. Ivy paced the floor, wringing her hands with worry about Boromir and Legolas, and Cara remained stationary at the window, leaning against her staff and staring west, letting nothing distract her watch.  
It took longer than Cara expected for Ivy to get claustrophobic. When she did, however, it startled them all greatly. "Oh, I can't take this anymore!" Ivy cried out of nowhere as she threw her arms in the air. "I'm going outside to walk the wall. It's stuffy and small in here. I'll be back." Cara nodded to acknowledge that she had heard, and Ivy left the cupola with a bang.  
As the guards watched her leave, Cara said, "Don't mind Ivy. She's a trifle emotional. Why don't you guys go and get a snack. I'll be fine here."  
"We're not to leave our posts, Green Wizard," one of the guards said seriously.  
"I take full responsibility," said Cara. "I'd take advantage of it, if I were you. Not too many chances like this will arise again."  
The guard made to argue again, but his partner stopped him with a look. Not only did a dinner and some ale sound good to him right then, no one could say what a wizard could and would do. It was rumoured that Cara was fond of turtles, and this guard didn't particularly want to find out just how fond she was of them. "Thank you, milady. We will certainly take your offer," he said for them.  
"Smart man," Cara mumbled. Out loud, she said, "If you would bring me back some tea, and a little bread and cheese when you return, I'd appreciate it." The guards assured her they would, and left her alone in the cupola.  
Cara sighed. Finally, she could have some peace, and do what she needed to do. She took a few steps back from the window, and set her dark, slightly gnarled staff directly in front of her. Carefully intoning the words, Cara released the spell and felt her vision become somewhat telescopic. She focused her thoughts on the Ladies V and Georgina, and was pleased to find them very close to the White City. The only reason why Cara couldn't see their tiny forms from the cupola was because the two Riders were behind the last few hills before the land evened out. Cara estimated their arrival at about an hour from then, counting both travel time and stabling, and leaned out the window to search for Ivy. "Oy, Ivy!"  
"What?" Ivy called, directly to Cara's left.  
Cara looked down, and saw Ivy was not too far from the cupola itself. "Georgie and V are almost here. It should only be an hour more. Wanna go tell Avi? I'll meet them when they come in."  
"Sure. What will you do until then?" Ivy asked.  
"Pretend I'm Cara of the House Guard," replied Cara, her smirk growing smirkier. Ivy decided not to ask, and headed back to the Palantir room.  
She found Avi on the floor again, curled up in the fetal position and simply staring at the doorway. Ivy gave her an odd look, and Avi replied with, "Tired and cold. That Palantir'll take a lot outta you."  
As Avi got to her feet, Ivy commented, "The archaic speech is gone."  
"And Taylor Street seems to have taken over," said Avi, smiling slightly. "I can never win. What's up?"  
"Just wanted to check on things, and let you know that Cara thinks Georgie and V will be here in an hour," Ivy said.  
"Well, that's good. Let's head for the sitting room, then. I want them to be comfortable. I'll send for some food, too," Avi said. She sent the guards outside the door to inform Cara of their whereabouts, and to have dinner ready for the five of them, and then she and Ivy headed again for the sitting room.  
"Who did you get a hold of?" Ivy asked as they walked.  
"Well, I called Lily first, and she was thoroughly worried, as Lily would be in a situation like this. She's a hobbit to the core—always was, really," Avi said ruefully, smiling a bit more. "She promised to be on the alert, and said she'd keep both eyes on Pippin. I'm sure she'll tell the others to do the same for their men."  
"Good. I don't want them going through what I'm going through," shuddered Ivy.  
"I don't want anyone to go through it," Avi said, opening the door for Ivy as they arrived at the room. As Ivy sat in her chair, Avi chose a large armchair over her usual chaise lounge, and wrapped a brightly coloured blanket Lily had knitted for her around her shoulders to warm her before continuing. "Anyway, after that, I talked briefly to Luint. She said that Elrond and Bilbo had already left for the Shire, but she'd check in with Lily about their arrival. The decision of Bilbo to leave Rivendell surprised me, as did Luint's news that Arwen had left for Lothlorien."  
"Really?" said Ivy, leaning forward in her chair.  
Avi nodded. "Arwen left to visit her kin a few days ago, without telling Elrond. They discovered she had left after Luint suggested she take a vacation, and Elrond went to offer the option to her."  
"That's not like Arwen," Ivy commented.  
"No, it's not, and it's got Luint concerned. The way I see it, if it'll calm Arwen down, more power to her. She won't be in our hair, then." Ivy noticed the scorn Avi used to have for Arwen re-emerge in her tone of voice, but chose to ignore it.  
"I tried to get Lady Greenleaf, but she wasn't around," Avi went on. "She should be back in Lothlorien by now. I could sense something wrong there, but you never know. When she bet's in, she'll know I tried to get a hold of her and call me back."  
"What do the Palantirs have answering machines?" Ivy teased.  
"Something like that," Avi said mysteriously, grinning. "But that's about it. Alison wasn't answering, either, but that's not uncommon. So that just leaves V, who'll be arriving with Georgie soon. We'll update them then."  
Ivy and Avi made small talk for a little while, then grew quiet as they waited. Ivy, whose thoughts had returned to Boromir for a while, glanced over at Avi at one point to find her dozing in the armchair, curled up in her blanket, and laughed lightly. She let Avi remain like that until Georgie and V showed up. "So this is how we find our Queen—asleep on the job!" Georgie joked as V rushed in to hug Ivy.  
"Sleeping my foot," Avi said as she stifled a yawn, then grinned sheepishly. "I was simply resting my eyes."  
"Yeah, and I'm a Dunlending," Georgie laughed, going to hug Avi in greeting. She and V switched, and hugged Ivy and Avi respectively, and then took seats in the room. V relaxed on the chaise lounge while Georgie opted for a smaller armchair. Cara, who had followed behind them, snagged a desk chair. When everyone was seated, Georgie turned to Avi and asked, "So what's going on?"  
"More than you'd think," Avi said gravely, pulling her blanket around her again. She quickly ran through what had been going on in and around Minas Tirith, much to the Rohirrim women's dismay. V had lapsed into silence, already fretting about Faramir, but Georgie was a bit more verbal.  
"I'm surprised, to be sure, but we got hints about something like this," Georgie said. She told the others about their encounter with the Dunlending Soothsayer, and after her tale, Avi looked more worried than ever.  
"I'm not fond of Dunlendings, but I have to admit, I take what they have to say seriously. I think it's safe to say that we need to take action, and go find Boromir and Legolas before any harm comes to them, " Avi said determinedly.  
"Or anyone else," Cara reminded her.  
"Exactly," agreed Avi.  
"Any ideas as to where to start?" Georgie asked.  
Avi glanced quickly at Ivy and Cara, who both nodded slightly. Avi then returned her gaze to Georgie, her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. Georgie held her breath involuntarily as she waited for Avi to speak.  
"We start in Mordor."  
  
* * * * * 


End file.
